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The Caribbean's most amazing birds

The Scarlet Macaw (or red parrot) is perhaps the most iconic Caribbean bird, thanks to their popular association with pirates. These highly intelligent birds can live to be up to 80 years old in captivity, and 50 years old in the wild.

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The Caribbean's most amazing birds

The Scarlet Macaw (or red parrot) is perhaps the most iconic Caribbean bird, thanks to their popular association with pirates. These highly intelligent birds can live to be up to 80 years old in captivity, and 50 years old in the wild. Ana Kostadinova, Getty Images

With its vivid blue, green, yellow and red coloring, the Painted Bunting looks like something out of a child's coloring book. The French name of the Painted Bunting, nonpareil, means “without equal,” a reference to the bird’s dazzling plumage. Steve Byland, Getty Images

The Bahama Duck Pintail, also known as the White-Cheeked Pintail, is monogamous (choosing one partner for the breeding season). Some pairs stay together year-round and for more than one year. La_Corivo, Getty Images

The Wattled Jacana is unmistakable, with its enormous feet and red, turkey-like wattles. Also called the lily-trotter, its toes and toenails distribute its weight over large areas to help it sprint across aquatic vegetation, as if defying gravity. Manakin, Getty Images

The spectacularly colored Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of Trinidad. As with flamingos, the brilliant red color of the scarlet ibis comes from carotene found in the crustaceans on which it feeds. Mishella, Getty Images

Purple Gallinules, also known as Swamp Hens (being about the size of a chicken) have a very unique parenting ritual. Both parents share the incubation and care of the chicks. The parents have a ritual which is performed whenever one takes over incubation duties from the other. The incoming bird brings the gift of a leaf to its partner. The bird on the nest takes the leaf and adds it to the nest, then relinquishes duties to its mate. Donyanedomam, Getty Images

The doctor bird or swallow tail humming bird can be found only in Jamaica. It has been said that it was named the doctor bird because the erect black crest and tails resemble the top hat and long tailcoats doctors used to wear. Marcin Ciesielski, Getty Images

The Green-throated Carib is a hummingbird found commonly in the Lesser Antilles. Although they feed mostly on nectar, they have been known to eat insects, often eating spiders out from their webs. Gillian Holliday, Getty Images